Apparatus for removing scale from boilers



Aug. 19 1924.

D. L. BREED APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SCALE FROM BOILERS 2 Sheets-Shet l Aug. 19 1924. 1,505,084 D,L.BREED APPARATUS FOfi REMOVING SCALE FROM BOILERS Filed Feb. 24, 1922 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATES DALE L. BREED, OF TICONDEROGA, NEW YQBIK.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SCAIiE FROM BOILERS.

Application filed February 24, 1922.

- 7 all whom it may cancer-n Be it known that I, DALE L. llnEEn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ticonderoga, in the county of Essex and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Removing Scale from Boilers, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionis an apparatus for removing scale, or other incrustations, from boiler shells orfsheets, of the horizontal return tubular type. i

One of the objects of' the invention is to provide an apparatus capableof removing scale, or other i11crustatio11s,f1'o1n the interior of a boiler of the type mentioned, without disturbing the fines. A further object is to provide simple means whereby the apparatus may be suspended within the boiler. A further object is to provide an abrading member, so mounted that it may be caused to travel in contact with the incrusted surface, in such manner as to automatically conform to the contour of said surface While so travelling. A further object is to provide simple means for reciprocating the support in which the abrading member is mounted, and feeding the same progressively step by step through the boiler.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims..

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, illustrating an apparatus constructed in accordance with, the invention. Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 22, Figure 1. Figure 3 is a detail view illustrating one of the hangers.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates a boiler, provided with tubular lines 11, which are supported in the usual and well-known manner.

Suspended from the tubes 11, are hangers 12, 12, provided at their lower ends with circular stirrups or bearings 13,-inwhich is rotatably mounted a hollow shaft 14, provided with a longitudinal slot 15, extending approximately throughout its length. Each hanger 12, 12, is provided with a series of holes 16, each of which is capable of receiving a cross bar 17, positioned to rest upon a pair of contiguous tubes 11, each cross bar having depending pins 18, so located as to engage the sides of said tubes, and thereby normally prevent swinging of the hanger. Longitudinal movement of the shaft 14 is Serial No. 538,970.

prevented by collars 19, engaging the inner end of shaft 14, and located on opposite sides of the strap 13, of the hanger 12'.

The outer end of the shaft 14 is removably engaged by' a sleeve 20, extending through a bearing 21, suitably supported in the manhole 22. For instance, the bearing 21 may be a device similar to that illustrated in Letters Patent No. 1,365,149. The outer'end of said sleeve 20 is extended beyond the manhol and'provided with ahandle or lever 23, by means of which the tubular shaft 14 may be rotated or oscillated.

Extending longitudinally through the tubular shaft 14 is a threaded feed shaft 24, the inner end of which is mounted in a bearing 25, secured within the contiguous end of the shaft 14, the other end of said feed shaft being provided with a squared portion 26, to be engaged by a horizontally disposed socket of a crank handle 27, extending through the sleeve 20, and provided with a suitable handl 28.

hfounted on the shaft 14 is a ear wheel 29, which is provided with an inwardly pro jecting portion 30, extending through the slot 15, and having an enlargement 31. Said enlargement approxin'iately fills the bore of shaft 14, and is provided with a threaded opening which engages the threaded feed shaft 24. Said gear 29 is' located within a suitable casing 32, suspended from the shaft 14, said casing having transverse openings and a widened portion 33, forming a stirrup or bearing for a carrier or flexible rack 34,

provided with teeth 35, meshing with the teeth of the gear 29. The carrier 34 is made up of a plurality of independent sections attached to a flexible, more or less resilient strip, capable of conforming to the curvature of the boiler shell 10. It will be noted in Figure 2, that the carrier 34 assumes a generally curved contour, with one end higher than the-other. Secured to the higher end is a strap 36, which embraces and supports the motor casing 37, of an abrading member 38. Said abrading member is shown as provided with a rotatable abrading wheel which may be actuated in any suitable manner. For instance, it may be operated by an electric motor in the manner illustrated in myv above mentioned Patent No. 1,365,149.

In operation the hangers 12, 12, are supported in proper position within the boiler casing 10, being engaged with the tubes 11.

resting against the interior of the boiler casing. Said abrading member is actuated by its own motor independently of the shaft and carrier. In this connection it wlll be noted that the flexibility of the carrier 3 1 permits the abrading member to conform substantially to the contour of the boiler shell. During the reciprocations of the carrier34: and the abrading member 38, the same may be fed forwardly or backwardly along the shaft 14: by rotating the feed shaft 24. In this manner the abrading member may be caused to travel throughout the length of the boiler casing, and also transversely over that portion of the boiler casing from which the scale is to be removed.

The advantages of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it aji)pertains. It will be par ticularly observed that simple and efficient means are provided, for removing the scale or incrust-ations from a boiler shell of the horizontal return tubular type, and that the apparatus may be supported in operative position within the boiler, by exceedingly simple means. An important advantage lies in the fact that the abrading member is so mounted as to travel in contact with the incrusted surface and to conform to the contour thereof while travelling, and that the same is fed progressively step by step along the length of the boiler.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described an operative manner of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what is claimed 1. A boiler cleaning apparatus comprising a rotatable shaft, supporting means therefor, a reciprocable carrier actuated by said shaft, an abrading member supported by said carrier and operable independently of the shaft and the carrier, means for rotating said shaft, and means for adjusting said carrier longitudinally of the shaft.

2. A boiler cleaning apparatus comprising a rotatable shaft, supporting means therefor, a gear mounted to rotate with said shaft. a reciprocable carrier having teeth meshing with said gear, an abrading member supported by said carrier and operable independently of the shaft and the carrier, means for rotating said shaft, and means for adjusting said gear and said carrier longitudinally of the shaft.

3. A boiler cleaning apparatus comprising a rotatable shaft, supporting means therefor, a reciprocable carrier actuated by said shaft and formed of independent sections connected to a flexible support, an abrading member supported by one end of said carrier and operable independently of the shaft and the carrier, means for rotating said shaft, and means for adjusting said carrier longitudinallyof said shaft.

l. A boiler cleaning apparatus comprising a rotatable shaft, supporting means therefor, a gear mounted to rotate with said shaft, a reciprocable carrier actuated by said shaft and formed of independent sections connected to a flexible support, an abrading member supported by one end of said carrier and operable independently of the shaft and the carrier, means for rotating said shaft, and means for adjusting said carrier longitudinally of said shaft.

5. A boiler cleanin apparatus comprising a rotatable shaf t, supporting means therefor, a casing suspended from said shaft, a reciprocable carrier actuated by said shaft and guided by said casing, an abrading member supported by said carrier and operable independently of the shaft and the carrier, means for rotating said shaft, and means for adjusting the carrier longitudinally of said shaft.

6. A boiler cleaning apparatus comprising a rotatable shaft, supporting means therefor, a casing suspended from said shaft, a pinion mounted to rotate with said shaft and located within said casing, a carrier guided by said casing and engaging said pinion, an abrading member supported by said carrier and operable independently of the shaft and the carrier, means for rotating said shaft, and means for adjusting said carrier longitudinally of said shaft- 7 A. boiler cleaning apparatus comprising a rotatable shaft, supporting means therefor, a gear mounted to rotate with said shaft, a reciprocable carrier actuated by said shaft, an abrading member supported by said carrier and operable independently of the shaft, means for rotating said shaft, and a rotatable threaded shaft Within the first mentioned shaft engaging said gear.

8. A boiler cleaning apparatus comprising a rotatable shaft provided with a longitudinal slot, supporting means for said shaft, a gear mounted on said shaft and having a portion extended inwardly through said slot, a threaded shaft within the first mentioned shaft engaging the projecting portion of said gear, a reciprocable carrier engaging said gear, an abrading member supported by said carrier and operable independently of the hollow shaft and the carrier, and means for rotating said hollow shaft.

9. A boiler cleaning apparatus comprising a rotatable hollow shaft provided with a longitudinal slot, supporting means for said shaft, a gear wheel mounted on said shaft and having a portion extended through said slot, a threaded shaft within the hollow shaft engaging the extended portion of said gear, a casing suspended from said hollow shaft, said gear being located within said casing, a carrier engaging said gear and guided by said casing, an abrading member supporting by said carrier and operable independently of the shaft and the carrier, and means for rotating said hollow shaft.

10. A boiler cleaning apparatus comprising a rotatable hollow shaft provided with a longitudinal slot, supporting means for said shaft, a gear mounted on said shaft and having a portion extending through said slot, a threaded shaft located within the hollow shaft and engaging said gear, a reciprocable carrier formed of a flexible strip having independent gear sections secured thereto and engaged by said gear, an abrading member supported by said carrier and operable independently of the shaft and the carrier, and means for rotating said hollow shaft.

11. A boiler cleaning apparatus comprising means for engaging boiler tubes, said means having depending hangers, a shaft rotatably supported by said hangers, a reciprocable carrier actuated by said shaft, an abrading member supported by said carrier and operable independently of the shaft and the carrier, means for rotating said shaft, and means for adjusting said carrier longitudinally of said shaft.

12. A boiler cleaning apparatus comprising spaced apart hangers each having a cross piece provided with depending members shaped to embrace boiler tubes, a shaft rotatably mounted in the lower ends of said hangers, a reciprocable carrier actuated by said shaft, an abrading member supported by said carrier and operable independently of the shaft and the carrier, means for rotating said shaft, and means for adjusting said carrier longitudinally of said shaft.

13. A boiler cleaning apparatus comprising a rotatable hollow shaft, supporting means for said shaft, a gear wheel mounted on said shaft, to rotate therewith and free to move longitudinally thereof, a feed shaft concentrically mounted within said hollow shaft and engaging said gear wheel, a carrier actuated by said gear wheel, and an abrading member supported by one end of said carrier.

14. A boiler cleaning apparatus comprising a rotatable hollow shaft, supporting means for said shaft, a gear wheel mounted on said shaft to rotate therewith and free to move longitudinally thereof,.a feed shaft concentrically mounted within said hollow shaft and engaging said gear wheel, a carrier actuated by said gear wheel, an abrading member supported by one end of said carrier, and an extension tube detachably engaging the hollow shaft and having means whereby it may be rotated.

15. A boiler cleaning apparatus comprising a rotatable hollow shaft, supporting means for said shaft, a gear wheel mounted on said shaft to rotate therewith and free to move longitudinally thereof, a feed shaft concentrically mounted within said hollow shaft and engaging said gear wheel, a carrier actuated by said gear wheel, an abrading member supported by one end of said carrier, an extension tube detachably. engaging the hollow shaft and having uneans whereby it may be rotated, and a crank handle extending through said extension tube and engaging said feed shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

DALE L. BREED. 

